This invention relates generally to removing toner from xerographically printed material.
In conventional xerographic printing or copying processes, a light image of an original to be copied is recorded in the form of an electrostatic latent image. The electrostatic latent image is formed on a photosensitive member and the latent image is subsequently rendered visible by the application of electroscopic thermoplastic resin particles commonly called toner.
The photosensitive member is charged and then exposed to light from a laser or light emitting diode to form the electrostatic latent image. The electrostatic latent image is developed by bringing a developer mixture into contact therewith. A dry or wet development procedure may be utilized. A dry developer mixture usually provides carrier granules having toner particles adhering triboelectrically thereto. Toner particles are attracted from the carrier granules to the latent image forming a toner powder image thereon.
After the toner particles have been deposited on the photosensitive member, in the configuration of the image, the toner particles are transferred to a copy sheet by the application of pressure or an electrostatic force. In some cases, the developed image may be transferred to an intermediate transfer member and thereafter transferred to the copy sheet.
After the transfer of the developed image is completed, the copy sheet advances to a fusing station that may include a fuser roll and a pressure roll. The developed image is then fused to the copy sheet by pressing the copy sheet between fusing and pressure rolls, thereby forming a permanent image. The attachment of the toner to the paper is primarily due to an adhesive, included in the toner, that adhesively secures the toner to the paper upon the application of pressure and/or heat.
A very large number of sheets of paper are run through printers. Many of these printed pages are never used and the paper is simply either discarded or sent for recycling. In many businesses, the amount of paper that is wasted in this way, never to be used, is staggering. It is estimated that about twenty percent of the documents that are printed are immediately thrown away. A large percentage of the remaining paper is also eventually thrown away without being substantially wrinkled, written on or otherwise disrupted.
Thus, there is a need for a better way to reuse printed material.
One embodiment of the present invention includes a method of removing toner from a material comprising: applying a solvent to the toner to weaken the adhesive attachment of the toner to the material; and subjecting the toner to ultrasonic scraping.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes a method of removing toner from a material comprising: applying ultrasonic energy to the material by applying an ultrasonic tamping force to the material; and removing the toner from the material.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes a method of removing toner from the material comprising: identifying the location of the toner on the material; preferentially applying a chemical that removes toner to the locations where the toner is present on the material; and attacking the bond between the toner and the material to remove the toner.